5/12: Checkpoint

[William the Bloody]

Written by Douglas Petrie & Jane Espenson
Directed by Nick Marck
Air date: 1/23/01

Buffy finds out that she has seriously underestimated Glory after Giles returns from England and then the Watcher's Council arrives to review her Slayer skills.

[Lola m]

OMG, it’s the eighth week of the 2006 Sizzlin’ Episode Festival! Do you know what that means?!

Can? Open! Worms? Everywhere!
Yep - It's time to celebrate the 3rd most requested Buffy episode – Checkpoint!





Sunnydale's got too many demons and not enough retail outlets.





Xander: Last year, uh, Willow, Giles and me combined our essences with Buffy, which isn't as weird as it sounds.
Anya: I'm told it was all very professional.


Tara: She'd be fine without us. Sometimes she goes off and does stuff without even telling us.
Willow: Not that she's like a, a weird loner or anything.


Spike: Heard of me, have you?
Watcher Lydia: I ... wrote my thesis on you.




The Council remains, the Slayers change. It's been that way from the beginning.



I'm fairly certain I said no interruptions.

Want to read Spring’s excellent Spikecentricity analysis of Checkpoint?

Want to comment on that analysis?

[Lola m]

Was just watching Lessons last night and enjoying the mighty morphing First go through all the Bid Bads. (Love love love that scene. I remember watching that episode when it first aired and going "whoa - this is soooo cool - and also, it means something very important".)

Anyway, because this week's Festival ep was Checkpoint, of course the "it's about power" line. In Checkpoint, the concept is a revelation to Buffy - causing her to compare Glory and the Watchers and see how both are trying to work her. In Lessons, we got the idea bookending the ep. Buffy talks to Dawn about how she doesn't have the power, how understanding that the bad guy does will help her successfully fight him. The First taunts Spike with his powerlessness and warns us all what the season will be about - an "ultimate" power struggle.

So, it made start thinking of other eps where "who has the power" is important and how it really is a key theme of the series. From the first season, where Buffy needs to realize she is not powerless against the Master and her supposed prophesied end, to the last season, where Buffy and Willow share/give away the power of the Slayer.

[SpringSummers]

lolam said:

Was just watching Lessons last night and enjoying the mighty morphing First go through all the Bid Bads. (Love love love that scene. I remember watching that episode when it first aired and going "whoa - this is soooo cool - and also, it means something very important".)

Anyway, because this week's Festival ep was Checkpoint, of course the "it's about power" line. In Checkpoint, the concept is a revelation to Buffy - causing her to compare Glory and the Watchers and see how both are trying to work her. In Lessons, we got the idea bookending the ep. Buffy talks to Dawn about how she doesn't have the power, how understanding that the bad guy does will help her successfully fight him. The First taunts Spike with his powerlessness and warns us all what the season will be about - an "ultimate" power struggle.

So, it made start thinking of other eps where "who has the power" is important and how it really is a key theme of the series. From the first season, where Buffy needs to realize she is not powerless against the Master and her supposed prophesied end, to the last season, where Buffy and Willow share/give away the power of the Slayer.

Yes - the end of lessons features Buffy looking almost exactly as she does at the end of Checkpoint, and saying the same things - very deliberate.

"It's all about the power," is key theme in BtVS, definitely. It's all about . . . claiming the power, by giving up the power, if you know what I mean. Buffy starts to learn that lesson here - when she, upon realizing her power, doesn't "lord it over" everyone as has been done to her, but instead, she is merciful and sharing in her approach.

It's a lesson that she - ultimately - doesn't forget. She shares credit and power with the Scoobies in this ep - and that will eventually translate to her sharing her Slayer powers at the end of Season 7.

[Michelle]

lolam said:

Was just watching Lessons last night and enjoying the mighty morphing First go through all the Bid Bads. (Love love love that scene. I remember watching that episode when it first aired and going "whoa - this is soooo cool - and also, it means something very important".)

Anyway, because this week's Festival ep was Checkpoint, of course the "it's about power" line. In Checkpoint, the concept is a revelation to Buffy - causing her to compare Glory and the Watchers and see how both are trying to work her. In Lessons, we got the idea bookending the ep. Buffy talks to Dawn about how she doesn't have the power, how understanding that the bad guy does will help her successfully fight him. The First taunts Spike with his powerlessness and warns us all what the season will be about - an "ultimate" power struggle.

So, it made start thinking of other eps where "who has the power" is important and how it really is a key theme of the series. From the first season, where Buffy needs to realize she is not powerless against the Master and her supposed prophesied end, to the last season, where Buffy and Willow share/give away the power of the Slayer.

Oooh! Great thoughts, Lola!!

[Michelle]

First off, a shallow comment: Giles looks extremely HOT in his distressed leather blazer.

Shallow comment the second: Tara’s hair looks really cute parted on the side. It’s very shiny too.

And number three: How awesome do Buffy and Spike look together in the graveyard, both decked out in their long black leather coats? Pretty darn awesome.

****************

After the opening Scooby meeting, we cut to Glory, obviously going through some kind of deep withdrawal. She needs to suck someone’s brain, and I mean RIGHT NOW. The scabby minions were charged with finding her next "fix," and have to literally hold her up while she shoots up. Many questions run through my mind. Why did she let herself get so ill before finding a brain to suck? What motivates Jinx and the others to help Glory? I mean, what’s in it for them? What power does she hold over them?

And, what would have happened if they hadn’t helped her, and she had to fend for herself? Would she die? Or would she just go (more) insane, like the ones whose brains she sucked?

When I read about 800 lb people who have to be air-lifted out of their house, questions in a similar vein run through my mind. How did they get to that point? If they couldn’t walk, let alone go to the store, how did they get the food? How did they buy the food? Of course, they must convince someone to buy it for them. But what motivates that person to do it? What power does the 800 lb person hold over him or her? What’s in it for them?

These comments probably don’t have anything to do with the main theme of the episode. Just stuff I wonder about.

***************

Buffy says to her professor regarding Rasputin: “It would be interesting if we came at if from a different perspective.” The professor mocks her for it, but in fact this is what Buffy seems to excel at—looking at problems in unexpected ways.

Quentin tells Buffy, “You’re dealing with grown ups now.” By the end of this episode, Buffy is well on her way to becoming a grown up. She has really come into her own.

When we think of a powerful person, we may envision someone physically intimidating. Someone who can push others around in a threatening manner. We see some examples of that. Buffy takes out her anger over her professor’s remarks on the vamp, Ben beats up Jinx, Giles semi-seriously encourages Buffy to beat up Quentin, and even considers throwing some punches himself. But real grown ups know that physical violence isn’t the best way to resolve a conflict. In this episode about who has the power, we learn that Buffy truly is a powerful person. Though not because of her physical strength, but rather because of her ability to look at her problems from different perspective. And this perspective helps her realize why the Council is putting her through her paces, why Spike is so quick to criticize her, and why Glory seems to revel in intimidating her. She holds the power. In figuring this out, she has made a huge leap toward becoming a grown up.

[Lola m]

fotada said:

First off, a shallow comment: Giles looks extremely HOT in his distressed leather blazer.

Mmmmmmm, Giles!

Shallow comment the second: Tara’s hair looks really cute parted on the side. It’s very shiny too.

**nods** Tara's hair often looks cute to me, heck, I liked the zig zag part thing that many people didn't.

And number three: How awesome do Buffy and Spike look together in the graveyard, both decked out in their long black leather coats? Pretty darn awesome.

Almost goes without saying, but then I want to say it! Very awesome! ;D

****************

After the opening Scooby meeting, we cut to Glory, obviously going through some kind of deep withdrawal. She needs to suck someone’s brain, and I mean RIGHT NOW. The scabby minions were charged with finding her next "fix," and have to literally hold her up while she shoots up. Many questions run through my mind. Why did she let herself get so ill before finding a brain to suck? What motivates Jinx and the others to help Glory? I mean, what’s in it for them? What power does she hold over them?

And, what would have happened if they hadn’t helped her, and she had to fend for herself? Would she die? Or would she just go (more) insane, like the ones whose brains she sucked?

Very good question. I mean, could she have slipped into permanent insanity? Which might be very dangerous (how do you restrain a god?) or might have actually been safer than a hellgod still able to plan and plot against you.

Was her growing insanity a time when she was close to changing into Ben? Or would that just happen at random? Or because one or the other was momentarily "weak" in some other way?

When I read about 800 lb people who have to be air-lifted out of their house, questions in a similar vein run through my mind. How did they get to that point? If they couldn’t walk, let alone go to the store, how did they get the food? How did they buy the food? Of course, they must convince someone to buy it for them. But what motivates that person to do it? What power does the 800 lb person hold over him or her? What’s in it for them?

These comments probably don’t have anything to do with the main theme of the episode. Just stuff I wonder about.

;D The mind does take trips on its own, doesn't it?

***************

Buffy says to her professor regarding Rasputin: “It would be interesting if we came at if from a different perspective.” The professor mocks her for it, but in fact this is what Buffy seems to excel at—looking at problems in unexpected ways.

Yes, yes, yes!! This is definitely a Buffy characteristic and strength!

Quentin tells Buffy, “You’re dealing with grown ups now.” By the end of this episode, Buffy is well on her way to becoming a grown up. She has really come into her own.

When we think of a powerful person, we may envision someone physically intimidating. Someone who can push others around in a threatening manner. We see some examples of that. Buffy takes out her anger over her professor’s remarks on the vamp, Ben beats up Jinx, Giles semi-seriously encourages Buffy to beat up Quentin, and even considers throwing some punches himself. But real grown ups know that physical violence isn’t the best way to resolve a conflict. In this episode about who has the power, we learn that Buffy truly is a powerful person. Though not because of her physical strength, but rather because of her ability to look at her problems from different perspective. And this perspective helps her realize why the Council is putting her through her paces, why Spike is so quick to criticize her, and why Glory seems to revel in intimidating her. She holds the power. In figuring this out, she has made a huge leap toward becoming a grown up.

Very nicely put!